Postmodern Hymn: Droit Devant

by Emma C.

I'm having fun listening to French musciennes on Spotify these days: Camille, Rose, Marie-Pierre Arthur. I have to say, there are lots of songs I thought would make lovely hymns, but then I actually paid attention to the words and realized that maybe the ideas didn't fit with my idea of a hymn! For me, a hymn needs words or the absence of words pointing to particular alchemical method.

So, I present "Droit Devant" by Marie-Pierre Arthur. It made the cut and provides a nice focus for meditating on French hymns. 

"Droit, droit devant
Mes yeux cherchent la lune
Je marche pour changer le temps
Pour m’effacer dans la brume

Bye bye,
M’en aller loin, loin
Bye bye

Par delà,
Toutes les peurs et les silences
Les mots dansent
et mes pensées se balancent"

I hesitate to provide the translation, but here it is, courtesy of Pearl Kleppin:

"Right, straight ahead
I am looking at the moon
I walk to change time
To erase myself in the mist

Bye bye
I go far
Bye bye

Beyond
All fears and silences
The words dance
And my thoughts sway"